KOREA NORTH(non) Frequency change of Voice of Martyrs in Korean from Apr.7
1600-1730 NF 7515 TAC 100 kW / 076 deg, ex 7485 to avoid RL in Turkmen. In
the coming days should change the time of transmission: 1500-1630 on 7515.

KOREA NORTH(non) Additional broadcast of Radio Free North Korea in Korean:
1900-2100 on 7530 ERV 100 kW / 065 deg. First noted on April 1.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Today it is exactly 65 years ago that Radio Netherlands Worldwide began its activities as an international broadcaster. A lot has changed over the years, so time to look back.

On 15 April 1947, RNW was set up by the Dutch government. The new foundation was charged with “putting together and preparing radio programmes to be received outside the borders of the Netherlands” and began broadcasting in Dutch, Indonesian, English and Spanish.

RNW from 1947 until today1947-1960
In the early days RNW had a ‘Greetings Department’, since making phone calls across the globe was difficult and very expensive. RNW also broadcast news, current affairs and cultural programmes. The broadcasts of this period reflect the post-war reconstruction phase. In 1949, broadcasting started in Arabic and in Afrikaans for South Africa.

In 1950, a new department was set up to compile radio programmes and distribute them to foreign stations. At the same time music activities were begun by way of partner stations abroad. RNW also gained an important new target group: Dutch emigrants in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In 1952, RNW began broadcasts aimed specifically at them.

1960-1990
In 1964, RNW’s music department was one of the first in Europe to make music recordings in stereo for foreign FM stations. The Radio Netherlands Training Centre was set up in 1968 to train radio personnel from developing countries. A French department was opened in 1969 and broadcasts in Portuguese to Brazil began in 1974. In 1975, there was a review of the programmes broadcast on short wave: a stronger emphasis was placed on news and current affairs programmes.

1990 - today
In 1991, RNW became the first organisation in the Netherlands, apart from the Dutch PTT, to be granted a licence to broadcast programmes directly by satellite for radio stations in Latin America. This was followed in 1992 by collaboration with local radio stations in Latin America. In 1994, RNW began working together with domestic broadcasters on the exchange and co-production of programmes. An RNW office was opened in West Africa in 1995 to serve listeners in the region via local radio stations.

Today RNW provides independent information and background reports in countries where press freedom is not a matter of course. This means that millions of people around the world with little or no access to information can enjoy reliable and impartial reporting. News about their own country and their own situation, as well as international news from a Dutch perspective.

Future
From 2013 everything will be changing. Last year the Dutch government decided to cut back RNW’s budget drastically. In future RNW is to limit its focus to providing impartial information to people in countries where press freedom is an issue.

For a small group of RNW employees this will be a new challenge. Sadly, for the majority of the staff and for a large part of our audience this will mean the end of an era.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

An example of usual reception report, I send to overseas broadcasters every day. This one is for the English language broadcast of Voice Of Russia World Service via the transmitter facility in Serpukhov, South of Moscow. Some tips:

1. Include as many program details as you can.
2. Include program comments - stations love to hear about themselves.
3. Include detailed information about yourself and your hobby - how did you get interested in shortwave listening
4. Include return postage, if you're not writing to a big shortwave broadcaster like Voice Of America, Voice Of Russia, China Radio International - they've got enough money. :)))
5. Don't lie, if the reception was poor, tell it. If the program is not interesting to you, give some advices for improving it.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Dear Sir,I am a shortwave listener from Bulgaria, a small country in
South Eastern Europe. I frequently tune to your broadcasts on 6165kHz
to learn a bit about your home country. The traditional music from Chad
is wonderful and I can listen it for hours and hours. Do you provide
sending cards and pictures of the radio station to listeners? I'll send
you a reception report along with money (USD dollars) to your postal
address, is it possible to send me some brochures and information about
your country and your radio station? I want to learn more about them.
Let's keep in touch.

Got a reply the next day:

Dear Georgi,It's very kind of you for this report. Thanks.You know, about brochures and others you like to send US Dollar, ok but let me give you an other adress because many of those kind of correspondences were lost. So, please get here the safety adress: Dingamtoudji Ngana Esaie, EET N12. P.O Box 4012, Ndjamena/Tchad Tel +235 62363237. My email adress is the same.

Spending cuts announced last week in Canada's latest federal budget have
reached Radio Canada International. Speaking to employees at RCI's
headquarters in Montreal on Wednesday, RCI director Helene Parent
declared that two out of three RCI employees, about 40 people, will
lose their jobs by the end of July. RCI's Russian and Portugueuse
sections will be closed along with the English and French-language
newsrooms.
All shortwave broadcasts will cease as well. RCI will
continue to exist solely on the Internet in five languages - English,
French, Arabic, Spanish and Mandarin.What a pity, let the RCI staff to expect their audience to reach 0%. Another international broadcaster is dying. Radio Budapest, Radio Ukraine, Radio Sweden, Radio Norway, Radio Bulgaria, Radio Finland, Radio Denmark, Swiss Radio International, RAI International, Radio Prague, Radio Slovakia, RTBF Belgium, Radio Vilnius are now off the air, some no longer exist. Polish Radio External Service cut its English language broadcasts. The only remaining shortwave facility of Deutsche Welle is located in Rwanda, Radio France International is going to cease all shortwave transmissions in 2013. Radio Netherlands' facility in Bonaire to be closed in the November 2012..Who's next? What the shortwave spectrum is going to look like in the next few years? Please, comment! The shortwave stations, still broadcasting in the year of 2015:

China Radio International

Radio Habana Cuba and the Cuban Lady numbers station

Radio Vatican and the shit load of Evangelical fundamentalists from the USA and Canada

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Tonight's edition of "What's Up?" confirmed that Polish Radio External Service in English is dropped from shortwave from start of A-12 Season. Only available on Internet, satellite & via WRN from 25 March 2012.
Another shortwave broadcaster slowly disappearing from the HF spectrum. The remaining shortwave broadcasts from Poland are in Belarusian, Polish and Russian, all via Woofferton.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

GREECE New start time for evening programs from Greece effective Mar.25:

ERT-3 Radiophonikos Stathmos Makedonias in Greek:
from 1400 on 9935 AVL 100 kW 285 deg to WeEu, not from 1500 on same

ERA-5 Voice of Greece in Greek:
from 1400 on 9420 AVL 170 kW 323 deg to WeEu, not from 1500 on same
from 1400 on 15650#AVL 100 kW 285 deg to WeEu, not from 1500 on 15630# strong co-ch Radio Liberty in Turkmen
And what time is the end for ERA-5 Voice of Greece, maybe 0300 not 0400

USA(and non) WYFR Family Radio via TRM 250 kW / 075 deg to SEAs:
1100-1200 on 13630 in Illocano, not confirmed, also no signal on alt. 13660
1200-1300 on 13720 in Cebuano, not confirmed, also no signal on alt. 13575
1200-1300 on 13630 in Tagalog, confirmed

According to IBB Radio Monitoring System:
1000-1100 on 17845 in Tagalog, not confirmed
1100-1200 on 17845 in Illocano, not confirmed
1200-1300 on 17855 in Cebuano, not confirmed

Sunday, April 1, 2012

The
program consisted of ance and pop music selection with several breaks for
announcements, contact information and reading reception reports.

15030kHz
(AM)

0940-1000UTC

35323

Paranoid
Radio

The
program started a few minutes after 0930UTC with rock songs and
instrumentals. The signal peaked at times, but was unstable. Station name and
contact information took place several times.

15060kHz
(AM)

0900-0930UTC

45444

Radio
Scotland

The
program started at 0900UTC. It consisted mostly of rock and rock’n roll
music, as well as frequent announcements of the station name and reading
reception reports from listeners. The signal faded at times, but the
modulation was great and audio clear and easily understood.

15080kHz
(AM)

0730-0800UTC

35433

Trans
Europe Radio

The
first station to hear today on the 19 meters band. Various styles of music
were played. Listeners letters and reception reports were read, as well as
frequent station IDs and contact information.

15845kHz (USB)

1045-1200UTC

25323

SpaceShuttle Radio

The program consisted of techno
and dance music, as well as pop and hip-hop. There were frequent station
identifications during the broadcast and the announcer welcomed reception
reports seve ral times. Deep fades
during the broadcast.

15000kHz (AM)

1100-1200UTC

55545

Mustang Radio

The program was observed
after 1100UTC. During the broadcast
were played songs of various music styles, like Polka and Heavy metal. The
broadcast went off the air after 1130UTC.

13146kHz (AM)

1155-1200UTC

55555

Monaco Radio

The five-minute broadcast
consisted of weather bulletin, provided by the Municipality of Monaco, read
in French language by male announcer, followed by frequency schedule and
contact information, read by software synthesized female announcer.